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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. snap — to click
  3. current — happening now
  4. charge — a price
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — to wash
  13. charge — electricity
  14. tube — a container
  15. current — of water
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. charge — in control
  18. current — electric
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. snap — to snap out of it

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com